Voter turnout strong in final hours

Nearly 70 percent of eligible voters in Jackson County have turned in a ballot so far and that percentage is expected to climb through the afternoon, Jackson County Clerk Chris Walker said.

Nearly 70 percent of eligible voters in Jackson County have turned in a ballot so far and that percentage is expected to climb through the afternoon, Jackson County Clerk Chris Walker said.

As of 11:31 a.m. 68.3 percent of the 122,051 ballots sent out had been returned, she said.

Walker expects to see votes from about 80 percent of those eligible in the county, slightly off from the 85 percent who voted in the 2008 presidential election.

Election workers are emptying the dropbox at the elections office every 30 to 45 minutes as ballots pour in, she said. The final collection there and from sites at the Ashland, Central Point and Eagle Point libraries and Rogue River City Hall is at 8 p.m.

Preliminary results will be available shortly after 8 p.m. at www.dailytidings.com/electionresults. Look for complete coverage online and connect with the newspaper on Facebook and Twitter for more updates throughout the evening. On Twitter, search for #Election2012.